Many mourn SW Miami-Dade teen victim in tragic crash

Fellow students and friends mourn the death of their thirteen-year old classmate in a tragic Miami-area motor vehicle accident in April. Most can still not believe that their close friend is gone forever. Grieving 8th graders from her class have created a Facebook page dedicated to her memory.

The unfortunate victim was riding in her family’s minivan, with her father and sisters, on the way to school when a 38-year-old driver crashed into them at US 1 and SW 184th Street. After being airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, the young teenager died, surrounded by her family. One of her sisters and her father were also hospitalized, although only for minor injuries. After treatment, they were released.

The driver of the other vehicle reportedly leapt from his luxury SUV after the crash and tried to escape the scene. Police, however, tracked him down quickly and arrested the man. To date, the driver has been charged with DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident involving death, and leaving the scene of an accident that involved “great bodily injuries.”

To compound the driver’s legal problems, he was apparently operating his motor vehicle with an expired license.

Although the police have not yet received blood alcohol tests, they maintain that the driver had an “impaired appearance” and displayed a “strong odor” of alcohol.

The victim’s friends will wear blue (her favorite color) at her religious service scheduled at Christ Fellowship Church in Palmetto Bay. The next day she will be laid to rest at Caballero Woodlawn South.

Source: CBSMiami, “Friends, Classmates Mourn SW Dade Teen Killed In Crash,” April 16, 2012